What every woman in Mumbai wants

Feb 18, 2013, 10.01AM ISTTNN

Where would Mumbai be without its women? They are the heart that rules the hearth. Over the years, they have made their mark in politics, in business, on the shop floor, in the boardroom. They have juggled responsibilities of career and family with dexterity Yet, the city does not do its woman proud. It preys on her; it demeans her independence, at home and office; it puts an obstacle in her daily commute. It tries to stifle her thoughts and throttle her spirit.

Recent crimes, of rape, murder and unspeakable violence, only underline the raw deal that we mete out to more than 57 lakh women in the city. These incidents have not only shaken their confidence, they have also exposed the other half's apathy, wilful disregard or sheer ignorance.

As the survey shows, many women (a sizeable 44%) don't feel safe outside after dark and cops don't inspire much confidence; 94% don't report harassment on the street to police. Then there are some very serious infrastructure problems. The lack of clean toilets makes Mumbai as uncomfortable as any other Indian city (that's the biggest grouse women have, with 43% choosing it as their pet peeve about the city's public spaces). The autorickshaw driver and the cabbie continue to be a pain; 55% women say they have been overcharged and 36% complain of rude behaviour.

Yet, Mumbai is still a place that makes women feel more comfortable than any other Indian city; 88% feel it's safer than Delhi, 49% feel it's safer than Kolkata and 47% feel it's safer than Bangalore.

The contemporary Indian woman is going through a tectonic shift in her personal as well as professional life. From the job she has set her eyes on to the clothes she wears, from her attitude to her mom-in-law to her relationship with her children, she is changing. And the Mumbai woman has often led the way in mirroring these inspiring, sometimes bewildering changes.

The Times of India's 'Mumbai For Women' initiative will try to make sense of this chrysalis. It will focus on important health and legal issues, professional concerns, safety and security, and the mass media's role in fostering the woman's self-image, giving you inputs that will help you in your daily life. But it will, above all, try to hold a mirror to the unique relation between a city and its women citizens. And hope that we can make it a better place. For you, and for us, and for the entire city.

Her story: In black, white & shades of grey

A TOI-IMRB survey throws up some nuggets:

25% of women feel unsafe at all times; If they had a choice, 44% of them wouldn't venture out on streets, public platforms or use local trains after dark.

70% faced some misbehaviour on the streets; but showing their lack of faith in khaki, only 4% complained to the police.

Lack of toilets is the biggest grouse about public places.

85% feel they don't have the freedom to marry as their male siblings do; 81% say they can't roam as freely as their brothers.